Avoid Anger

Someone wisely said, “Soap removes stains from clothes, and confession removes stains from character.” Owning up to a mistake is the easiest way to defuse conflict. When one side humbly admits its error, the other side softens immediately. A sincere confession acts like cold water on a fire— cooling down even the strongest emotions. There’s a story about a young man who was falsely accused of theft by a local shopkeeper. The young man got very angry, grabbed the shopkeeper’s collar, and started beating him. A crowd gathered. The argument escalated. People told the young man to apologise, but he refused. The next day, both parties met again. Still, the young man wouldn’t say sorry. Finally, the shopkeeper, who was much older, stepped forward, hugged the young man, and said, “If you’re not ready to apologise, then let me apologise to you. Let’s end this matter.” The young man was stunned. The shopkeeper’s humility broke him. He fell at the shopkeeper’s feet and said, “Please don’t apologise. You’re like a father to me. The mistake was mine. Please forgive me.” Very few people are able to escape the damage caused by anger. But the truth is—it is both possible and easy to save yourself from it.